1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for removing and dispensing pastes, particularly thixotropic pastes and preferably high-viscosity detergent pastes used in institutional laundries, from a flexible container provided with an opening.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Devices such as these are known, for example from DE 44 14 708 A1 or DE 44 16 089 A1. Under the effect a means for compressing the bag, for example, a roller moving down an inclined surface, the paste is forced from the containers through the opening into the feed line from which it is transported by a displacement pump, for example to a mixing chamber. In the case of detergent pastes, a stock liquor is prepared in the mixing chamber by the addition of water and can then be pumped without difficulty to the individual institutional washing machines.
However, air is unavoidably trapped in containers filled with highly viscous pastes during their production. The resulting air bubbles in the feed line lead to problems with the displacement pump and hence to an interruption in the dispensing process. These problems occur in particular with relatively old displacement pumps where the tolerances have increased through natural wear.
Dispensing problems even arise where displacement pumps capable of tolerating entrapped air are used. Although the dispensing process itself is not interrupted, its precision is affected.
Accordingly, the problem addressed by the present invention is to achieve uninterrupted precision dispensing in a device even when air is trapped in flexible containers filled with the pastes.